Lex Libertas Demands Consistent Diplomatic Standards After Iranian Embassy Post

Pretoria – The think tank and advocacy group, Lex Libertas has issued an open letter to the Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO) calling for urgent clarification and action following a social media post by the Iranian Embassy in South Africa displaying imagery of American coffins.

The letter follows DIRCO’s recent decision to issue a démarche the newly appointed United States Ambassador, Brent Bozell, after he publicly stated that the chant “Kill the Boer” constitutes hate speech. DIRCO described the ambassador’s remarks as undiplomatic.

According to Lex Libertas, the Iranian Embassy’s post raises serious concerns about whether the South African government is applying diplomatic standards consistently. The fact that the post has since been deleted by the Iranian Embassy is, as far as Lex Libertas is concerned, irrelevant.

“DIRCO acted swiftly when the American ambassador expressed an opinion about a chant that objectively constitutes hate speech” said Dr Ernst Roets, Executive Director of Lex Libertas. “Yet imagery celebrating the deaths of foreign citizens is far more serious. The public is entitled to know whether the same standards will be applied.”

In the open letter, Lex Libertas calls on DIRCO to clarify whether diplomatic action will be taken regarding the conduct of the Iranian Embassy and to inform the public what steps, if any, are being taken.

“The credibility of South Africa’s foreign policy depends on whether its principles are applied consistently,” Roets said.

The full open letter can be read here.

Lex Libertas is a think tank and advocacy group working towards a viable political dispensation in South Africa, based on the principles of freedom, decentralisation, and self-governance.

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